A Suggested Total Size for the Cord Blood Banks of Japan
At its foundation, the 5-year aim of the Japanese Cord Blood Bank Network was to preserve 20,000 cord blood (CB) units, with the assumption that 90% of the Japanese population would be able to find a CB unit with 6/6 or 5/6 Ag-level HLA matches. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

Masonic Cancer Center Receives $26 Million to Lead National Blood and Bone Marrow Cancer Research
Two of the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center’s leading physician-scientists on research and treatment of cancers of the blood and bone marrow–Philip McGlave, M.D., and Jeffrey Miller, M.D., have received renewed five-year program project research grants totaling almost $26 million from the National Cancer Institute. [University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center Press Release]

Schwarzenegger Mulls Action on Cord Blood Legislation
The California Legislature sent a bill (AB 52) to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) that would set up a system to let parents donate umbilical cord blood at no cost. Collection of the cord blood largely would be funded by a $2 increase for certified birth certificates. [California Legislature, United States]

Government Asks Appeals Court to Keep Stem Cell Research Going
Government lawyers sallied forth on another legal maneuver in an effort to defend U.S.-funded research on stem cells: they asked an appeals court to grant a longer stay to allow research on human embryonic stem cells to continue while the court considers a lower court’s ruling that it is illegal. [Department of Justice, United States]

Oral Hearing Scheduled in Stem Cell Injunction Appeal
In an unexpected move, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit scheduled a 30-minute oral hearing on 24 September to hear arguments on whether Chief Judge Royce Lamberth’s injunction that blocked National Institutes of Health funding for work with the cells should be lifted while the case is being litigated. [Court of Appeals, United States]

NIH Releases Biennial Report of the Director
Dr. Francis S. Collins, M.D., PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health, announced the release of the Biennial Report of the Director, NIH, for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The report provides an integrated portrait of NIH research activities, making it easy for Congress, advocates and patient groups and the general public to understand the many activities of the agency. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

FDA Calls for Hearing on Biosimilars Legislation
The Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day public hearing as it prepares to put into place regulations for the approval of generic versions of biological products, according to a draft document circulating among healthcare lobbyists. [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

FDA to Review Medical Products Alongside Medicare
A new process to review medical products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in tandem with the nation’s Medicare insurance program could help speed up coverage decisions. [Food and Drug Administration, United States]